This is how Denmark took control of the Horsens virus

Vienna Previous article Have you been able to read about the outbreak of the so-called Horsens virus in Denmark? Although the Horsens virus outbreak appears to be under control two years later, veterinarian Jacob Korsgaard and his colleagues remain on the alert. “Good surveillance remains important, as do good biosecurity measures, of course. In particular, compliance with strict quarantine protocols for purchased gold is of great importance. After vaccination, these animals must be given time to build up sufficient immunity before being placed with the group.”

Horsens virus is more contagious

Veterinarian Jacob Korsgaard of Q-Vet Clinic in Denmark describes the current situation as relatively stable, but stresses that vigilance and additional measures are still necessary for the time being. says Jacob, who has advised many pig breeders and helped them during the outbreak to regain control of the situation on their farms. to control.

Reduce the chance of recombination

We were dealing with a new, unknown strain of PRRS virus. We already knew this before sequencing analysis confirmed it. Symptoms were more severe. Especially gold really got sick. And the virus spread at a remarkably fast pace,” Jacob recalls well.

“Because we didn’t know exactly what we were dealing with, we were more or less forced to allow the virus to spread between infected groups, so the animals could build up natural immunity. But the impact of this aggressive variant of PRRS on the animals’ health was greater than we could have imagined. We soon saw That is reflected in the production numbers.”

Vaccination against PRRS

Jacob continues: “Today it can still be controlled transmission of the virus in a new outbreak, but I certainly wouldn’t do that with this type of virus. I would definitely prefer vaccinating with a reliable live vaccine that doesn’t spread much, so the animals can build immunity and not You have to get sick.”

Do not switch vaccinations

When you combine vaccination with strict quarantine protocols, you really rule out many risks, says Jacob. “And in my opinion, the small risk of developing a harmful recombinant can be greatly reduced by not switching vaccines within companies. We know that using different types of live vaccines within a group can increase the risk of developing a recombinant. You should not want to risk at all with a disease like PRRS”.